Narrative:A Cessna 208B Grand Caravan sustained substantial damage when it was flown over during a storm at Raleigh/Durham International Airport, NC (RDU).The aircraft was parked on the UPS ramp when a thunderstorm hit the airport at 17:22 hours local time. The temperature dropped from 32°C to 23°C in 27 minutes time and the wind speed increased from 5 knots to 22 knots at 17:54 hours. Wind gusts of 43 knots were recorded. The airplane was blown onto its back, causing substantial damage to the tail and rear fuselage. A propeller blade was bent, the right hand wing tip folded and the wind screen was shattered.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.